Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the 911 Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
911 director reports staffing recovery and accreditation progress; emergency management warns of capacity strains
Summary
The director of the Bureau of Emergency Communications reported improved 911 staffing and progress toward accreditation; the director of emergency management described volunteer networks and capacity strains after repeated emergencies.
Bob Causey, director of the Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC), told councilors Jan. 9 that 911 call volume has risen about 35% since 2018 and that BOEC lost roughly a third of its staff after the pandemic and large protests. He said the bureau has made staffing gains and expects an upcoming academy in February to nearly fill positions.
Causey said BOEC is close to meeting requirements for accreditation through the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch and that the bureau aims to answer 911 calls within 20 seconds 90% of the time.
Shad Abed (director of the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management) said his bureau’s role is to convene and coordinate city, county and community partners, and he noted the city hosts a robust neighborhood emergency team (NET) volunteer network of about 1,200 trained volunteers. Abed warned that staff reductions over the past two years have reduced the bureau’s ability to plan and prepare while the frequency of emergencies — climate events, civil unrest and cyber incidents — has increased.
Both directors told councilors they plan to continue regional coordination via the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) and to expand training and exercises as resources permit. Abed and others noted that alert-and-warning capability needs more in-house resourcing.
